Happy 100th Birthday to Oreo cookies: keeping the soul of a brand

In a rapidly changing world- Oreo cookies give you a sense of stability and comfort and that is the soul of the Oreo brand. The largest selling cookie of the 20th century has survived numerous wars,technology upheavals,financial meltdowns and extreme globalization. If you were used in childhood to "twist,lick and dunk" and are now watching your diet- you can just scrape off the cream or just have a tiny bit with fat free milk.

How does a low tech product like a cookie sell in 100 countries with annual sales exceeding $1.5 billion? Keep in mind that there are countless competing local bakeries in every country selling "fresh" cookies right off the oven and yet there is no slowing down Oreo that originally came in tin cans and now comes in a variety of plastic and other flexible packaging depending on the market.

There are lots of reasons that Oreo survived a 100 years  and today there were impromptu  global celebrations of an iconic American brand. These include a great product,packaging and brand extensions that evolved and a wonderful adaption to different global distribution systems.

But it is the communication of the soul of the brand that has remained consistent and has been passed on from father to son making it a tradition to have Oreo cookies with milk in not only the US but in many countries of the world.

Generations of Nabisco-Kraft marketing and advertising folks must be considered remarkable and deserve hearty congratulations today. For between changing marketing managers and advertising agencies there is so much confusion that most brands barely make it to the next decade- let alone the next century!

Nabisco marketing leaders have been able to stay on message for over a hundred years between different evolving media platforms.And in a category where almost anyone can compete with a packaged brand. Contact StratoServe.

 

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